Finding space is key

pañca maha bhūtas - the 5 great elements.

In Indian thought, there’s an idea of how the elements came to be in the universe and it all began with space, also called “ether” or ākaśa– the empty vacuum in which other things could exist. Without space, there would be nothing into which and from which the other elements could manifest. Space is the first essence of materiality.

When space began to move, we had air, vāyu.  As air moved, it created friction and heat and we had fire, agni. Fire liquified the element and made water, jala . From water, particles began to cling and hold together and that became earth, pr̥thivi.  The five great elements, the pañca maha bhutas, come out of and begin with space, the most subtle and fundamental element.

Without space, we can’t experience breath or sky or the touch of air on the skin.  We don’t have light or heat or the transforming force of fire. We don’t have the fluid, refreshing, buoyant presence of water. And we don’t have the grounding, stable structure of earth. We can experience these gifts of being alive more fully when we make and embrace the space.